Chinchero Church and Convent

What makes it special

Start at the base of the walls. The church rises on Inca stone foundations, and beside it lie the shrines, baths and terraces of the royal estate the Inca Túpac Yupanqui built around 1480.

If the church is open, the inside is dim. Dark wooden panels and ceiling struts absorb what little light comes through the few small windows, so give your eyes a minute before the detail appears.

Then look up. The roof trusses are carved and painted in deep colours, now faded, and the painted ceilings and walls mix Catholic and Andean motifs. The murals were restored after the 1998 earthquake and are in reasonable condition.

Lower down, the walls carry Cusco School paintings from the region's colonial workshops, along with carved altarpieces and a gilded main altar.

Visiting

Starting with the church is the plan: step inside first, then walk out into the ruins. Keep your Boleto Turístico to hand at the church door as well as in the park.

From the church, the grounds run straight into Inca walls that were once part of a temple and palace complex. Follow the main path out from the church to Wak'a Puma, an Inca shrine.

The park has two sectors: the urban one and the farming terraces, the andenes. Finish back in the plaza at the textile market, where women's weaving cooperatives show how they work with natural dyes.

Guided or on your own

You can see the church and ruins on your own: the site is clearly laid out, and the ticket gives entry only, with no guide or transport. A guide suits you if you want the layout of the royal estate pointed out stone by stone, detail that is easy to walk past.

Tips

Buy the ticket on the day you start sightseeing, because its validity begins the day you buy it. It carries your name, so carry the identity document that matches it.

Bring cash in soles for the market, since most vendors take no cards. Pack a warm layer, sunscreen and water: the altitude tires you faster than usual, and it is cold early and late. If you have not acclimatised yet, come as a day trip rather than staying the night.

The market is busiest on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, and the Sunday fair still runs on barter.